Potato-sprouter.



E. MASSING.

POTATO SPROUTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1911.

lfil 1&73. Patented Jan. 9,1917. 79 9 ,7 g after/act EDWARD MASSING, 0F IRENE, MONTANA.

POTATO-SPROUTER.

Application filed May 25, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD MASSING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Irene, in the county of Musselshell and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Sprouters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines used to remove sprouts from potatoes, and the object of my invention is to provide a device of this general character of a simple and inexpensive nature and of a compact and durable construction which shall be capable of convenient operation so that potatoes placed in a revolving slat drum forming a part of the machine, may be brought into frictional contact with one another, to remove all sprouts without injury to the tubers.

Another object is to provide a machine of this character with a raised slanting platform so that the same can be shoved directly into a large potato bin without bruising any of the potatoes, the platform of the machine forming in conjunction with the drum supporting members and a panel, a trough within which the detached sprouts are collected.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and finally pointed out in the appended claim, it being further understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claim, without departing from the s irit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views: Figure 1, shows a side elevational view of a potato sprout removing machine embodying my invention with portions broken away. Fig. 2, shows an end view, and Fig. 3, a. transverse sectional view.

At a certain time of the year, potatoes kept in bins, begin to sprout and unless the tender shootlets are removed, the potatoes rapidly deteriorate. For this reason it is necessary to remove the sprouts which is generally accomplished by hand. In my present invention I provide a light, inexpensive, readily operated machine by means of which the sprouts can be expeditiously Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 191?.

Serial No. 629,301.

and effectivelv removed without handling the potatoes by hand.

In carrying out the object of my invention I employ two similar end sills 1, 1, each having one end wider than the other held in parallel spaced relation. Secured obliquely to the upper edges of these end sills 1, 1, is a platform 2, while secured vertically to the sills intermediate of their ends are two flat standards or uprights 3, 3, decreasing in width toward their upper ends, each upright within its upper end having a seat forming slot Extending from one upright 3 to the other and resting upon the platform 2, and secured to the uprights at the edge toward the low side of the platform, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is a panel 5, which may be in the form of a board. This panel 5, in conjunction with the slanting platform 2, and the uprights 3, forms a trough, as shown.

In connection with my machine I use a slat drum including the two disk heads 7, each giving support to a plurality of square slats 8, which have their ends 12, rounded to fit into suitable seats within the disk head 7, as shown in Fig. 2. A certain number of these slats, as shown in Fig. 1, are connected by two metal straps 10, held in parallel spaced relation, to form adoor, held to one of the slats 8, by means of suitable hinges, 9. In order that the rounded ends of these door forming slats will be properly held to the end members 7, these members are provided with. a plurality of curving slots 13, as shown in Fig. 2, to receive the ends of the door forming slats, suitable pivotally held ears 12, being secured to one of the slats 11, as shown in Fig. 1. By this means the door can be held in a closed position.

Passing through the slat drum is a shaft 6, having the crank 15, and secured to the end member 7, opposite the crank 15, is a handle 14, so that the drum can be lifted into and out of the bearings 1, in grasping the same by the handle 14:, and the crank 15.

The machine can be shoved directly into a bin of suitable size so that the potatoes can be scooped directly into the drum, which, after being half filled is gently rotated, in which operation all the sprouts will become detached and gravitate through the slat openings to be collected upon the inclining platform. The platform being raised will not crush any of the potatoes. As these It is of eourse understood that these 1na-' chines can be built in various slzesgThe machine is further extremely slmple and in- I expensive in construction and both durable and etiicient in operation, and the drum can be ad usted within the bearings, or removed therefrom, with ease, accuracyand despatch.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

A potato sprouter including in combination, two similar end sills held in parallel liquely to the edges of saidsills, two standards secured vertically to said sills and intermediate of the ends of said sills, al rotatable slat drum supported upon said standards and a panel resting upon said platform edgewise and secured to said standards at the edges toward the lower side of said platform, whereby sprouts falling upon said )latform will ravitate toward the lower V EDWARD assrNo! Vitn'esses:

WARREN E. EVANS, THOS.'STIGEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. 7

a Washington, D. 0. V 

